Chapter 4: Cliffhangers, Confessions, and Payback

(What do I do! Will babe refuse to sleep with me? Should I try seducing her a little?)

To avoid more flirty talk, I dove into bed and hugged her: “Sleep.”

Hugging Lila, I drifted off.

When I first got into the industry, cut off by my family, I took any gig I could get.

Once, I was a backup dancer on a talent show.

Back then, those shows were brutal—talent alone wasn’t enough, there were too many rich kids.

I got assigned to an underdog with no big agency—Lila.

She worked her butt off, sometimes practicing till 2 a.m., obsessed with every detail.

Sometimes, for the perfect stage effect, she’d ask me for help. I always agreed, and afterward, she’d show up with snacks or little gifts as thanks.

We two rookies survived three rough months together. I watched her rise and finally debut with a landslide of votes.

After she made it, I collected my backup dancer pay and drifted away. After that, I bounced from crew to crew, commercials, extras, climbing to D-list. Then, in Ethan’s drama, I kissed him and got cyberbullied by his fans.

Before I could reach the top, to stand equal with Lila, my life ended at 25 on a sunny afternoon, destroyed by endless cyberbullying.

And just before I died, I thought I saw Lila coming for me. She was one of the few old fans who still cared.

When the original Mariah was under attack, the one who defended her was Lila’s alt account. Her main was under contract, so she could only speak up with her alt.

When I woke up, I teased Lila about being her backup dancer.

Unexpectedly, she lit up: “Babe! You finally remembered me, oh my god.”

Lila jumped into my arms, and I caught her, cradling her like a kid. I grinned: “Want me to carry you to the bathroom?”

“Mm mm!” She nodded furiously, like a cartoon chick.

After breakfast, we strolled to filming, hand in hand, Lila leaning on my shoulder, pink bubbles everywhere.

The livestream chat exploded.

(Whoa, up early? I swear I see lilies blooming in my backyard.)

(The energy between these two is off the charts, and I’m living for it.)

(Ethan behind them looks ready to pop, the king of smug can’t handle it!)

Today’s live task: pick mushrooms in the woods, in pairs, by lottery.

I didn’t get to team with Lila; she drew Ethan.

Ethan wouldn’t swap with me. I clipped the bug spray I’d brought onto her belt: “Be careful.”

Lila nodded, determined.

In the original, Ethan and Lila found a snake in the woods. Ethan saved her, and Lila fell for him. The cool girl melted, did everything for him—helped him, invested, even got pregnant, and still got dumped.

The once-goddess was trashed by the public. The Fox family, who finally found their missing daughter, gave up on her. She lost everyone.

Since I blocked their bonding in the mud, maybe the snake plot would change. But I couldn’t risk it.

Two hours later, I raced back to the house, only to find Ethan alone, the crew in chaos.

I rushed over and found out that in the woods, Ethan had bailed when they found a snake. The cameraman followed him, leaving Lila behind—her situation unknown.

“Ethan! What kind of man are you? If anything happens to Lila, you’ll answer to me!” I stomped on his foot for good measure.

After learning where Lila disappeared, I grabbed the rangers and the show’s medics to search for her.

The forest was thick, birds scattering as we crashed through, staff shouting Lila’s name.

I focused, hoping to pick up her inner voice, praying for a clue.

Maybe we were too far apart—I couldn’t hear her yet.

Half an hour later, we reached a cliff.

Suddenly, I heard her panicked thoughts:

(Oh god, I don’t want to die, I haven’t confessed to babe at a concert yet.)

(Babe saved me back then, I haven’t repaid her yet, I really can’t live without her.)

Hearing Lila’s voice, relief washed over me. I started shouting: “Lila! Where are you?”

“Lila! I’m here, don’t be scared.”

Soon, I heard Lila call from below the cliff: “Babe! I’m down here.”

“Quick, toss me a rope!”

After pulling her up, I saw her clothes were torn and she had scrapes everywhere. She clung to me, refusing to let go.

“Did the snake bite you?”

“No, no, I used the bug spray you gave me.”

I shrugged off my jacket and wrapped it around her, then scooped her up bridal-style for the hospital.

When the doctor gave her anesthesia to clean the wounds, she started rambling, loopy from the drugs.

“Finally saw babe again, but she seems to have forgotten me, doesn’t remember I was the kid she saved. Did she save so many people, I’m just not worth remembering?”

“If babe hadn’t saved me, and if the Lane Foundation hadn’t funded my school, how could I have made it to the talent show, to her?”

From Lila’s words, I pieced it together.

Turns out, we met as kids—maybe seven or eight. I was at a summer camp, saw a kid fall off a cliff, and called for help. Later, I found out the town was poor. My family’s charity foundation got involved, and when I heard the place was included in the aid plan, I moved on.

After her wounds were cleaned, Lila slept quietly on a drip. I called the lawyers about Ethan abandoning Lila during a challenge. With Vanessa’s dirt, we blew up all his skeletons.

(Top idol Ethan Cross, currently crashing—terrible acting, always threw tantrums on set, got endorsements by sucking up to execs, backstabbed his only industry friend)

When a star falls, everyone piles on.

This time, Ethan was toast. Fans from every fandom came forward with receipts, even randoms exposed him.

No comeback in sight. Brands canceled, movies dropped him.

Finally, he got caught for tax evasion, sentenced to community service—plenty of time to rethink his life.

Because Lila was hurt, we quit the show, and the divorce reality show I promised to invest in for Vanessa went into production.

She invited me as a guest commentator, to watch the drama of divorced folks chasing love again.

I knew she wanted my investment so she could chase her newly single ex.

I didn’t plan to return to Hollywood—time to inherit the family business.

Only at the top can I protect the people I love.

A fancy French restaurant.

I met my blind date, Julian Fox, the Fox family’s heir, just like my family arranged.

They said, suitable or not, at least meet once before deciding.

He was the new golden boy after Ethan’s fall, now the latest It Guy. Hollywood never runs out of fresh faces.

During dinner, neither of us mentioned the family alliance. After eating, I decided to just say it.

“I like women.”

“I like men.”

We said it at the same time, then cracked up.

“Want to swap stories? Are you a top?”

“Stop!” Julian cut me off, grinning. “You sure you want to ask that? Your girlfriend’s about to burn a hole in my head.”

Following Julian’s gaze, I spotted Lila at the next table. She’d sworn she’d wait at home, but here she was, caught in the act.

I told her before coming, even offered to bring her. She swore she was chill, wouldn’t get jealous.

If I’d known, she could’ve come with me—no need to sneak around.

“I’m leaving, let’s skip the alliance.”

“Go, my date’s waiting too. If you can, get me two tickets to Lila’s concert.”

“If she’s up for it, convince her to come home. I like her sister—even if they’re only half-sisters.”

“I’ll ask.”

Three months later.

A concert in LA, thousands of people packed in. I wore a mask, clutching a glow stick, front row.

Lila’s black curls tumbled over her blue suit, gold-rimmed glasses, and the moon necklace I gave her.

Moon is my nickname. I had it made into a necklace so she’d always have me close.

First song, she belted out Can’t Take My Eyes Off You:

“You’re just too good to be true / Can’t take my eyes off you / You’d be like heaven to touch / I wanna hold you so much...”

The lyrics echoed in my head: “You are truly perfect / I can’t take my eyes off you / You’re like the heaven people yearn for / How I want to hold you tight…”

Fans lost it over her pure, commanding low voice.

I hummed along: “I love you baby, and if it’s quite all right / Need you baby to warm a lonely night...”

During the break, Lila waved to the crowd: “Hey~”

Fans went wild, hands cupped like megaphones, screaming: “Wifey! Wifey, I love you!”

“She’s no wolf in sheep’s clothing, she’s my baby.”

“Her style is wild—not K-pop, not J-pop, not retro, but it drives me nuts.”

It was my first time facing Lila’s fans. On stage, she glowed, her voice lifting up fans who’d traveled for her.

Her concert tickets were always affordable, with custom lightsticks, plushies, even signed posters at every seat—worth way more than the ticket price.

Suddenly, I realized—the one I love is loved by so many others, too.